Of the three garrison units of the Crane City Knights, only the vice-commander of the Gale Knights remained silent.
But everyone present knew that if a fight broke out, he would be the most ruthless.
The reason was simple: this Gale vice-commander had once been a member of the Wild Horse Knights, one of the last 20 survivors.
This resolute-looking man, head bowed in silence, wore a sword entwined with a raging wind on the left side of his breastplate, and a black wild horse on the right.
The Sword of Gale! The Wild Horse Medal!
After a few seconds of silence, the two vice-commanders rose and left, giving Yuna a slight nod as they departed.
They held this former hero in high esteem; after all, the Wild Horse Knights had risked their lives to repel the demons, saving countless cities and their families living there.
Yuna returned the nod, watching them leave, before rising and heading for the door.
"I'll discipline that child. As for this matter, let's just let it go. Actually, you should thank him. If he hadn't intervened, there would have been more than one."
Upon hearing this, the White Dog Guild Master trembled, lowering his head and remaining silent.
He truly hadn't expected that Yuna, whose lover had died at the hands of a demon, and whose entire knightly order had been wiped out because of it, would so readily protect a demon.
Otherwise, he wouldn't have dared to cause trouble even if he were beaten to death!
Walking down the empty corridor, Yuna suddenly stopped.
She patted Yuri's head, gesturing for her to go home first. Watching Yuri's limping figure disappear, Yuna slowly straightened up.
"Why are you following me?"
Behind her, the vice-captain of the Gale Knights emerged from a corner.
"Nothing, just wanted to see you."
"Have you seen enough?"
"No."
"Excuse me, I need to take care of the child, so please excuse me."
Yuna took a step forward, but the Gale Vice-Captain called her back again.
"Sana, I…"
"Please call me Yuna. According to the rules of the Horse Clan, married women take their husbands' surnames."
"…Yuna, ten years, a full ten years! Haven't you forgiven me yet?"
Gazing at the graceful figure with her back to him, Vice Commander Gale couldn't help but take a step forward, his hand slightly outstretched, but he dared not make a further move.
"Forgive? How can I forgive you? You deserted your post! You abandoned your own people! How can I forgive you!"
Yuna turned around abruptly, her face devoid of any smile, only chilling coldness remaining.
That icy gaze made Vice Commander Gale painfully clutch his hair.
"I had orders! I said it! I had a mission! I had to go to the rear to build a second line of defense! To protect the city!"
"So you just watched my husband die in battle? Watched him send out distress signals and did nothing? Watched the entire main force of the Wild Horse Knights perish there!"
As she spoke of the past, a terrifying aura emanated from Yuna, her teeth grinding together. She never imagined that her hasty separation from her lover would be forever!
Watching the Windstorm Vice-Commander's anguished expression, the murderous intent in Yuna's eyes gradually faded, finally turning into a sigh.
"Raymond, I don't actually hate you. You did the right thing. You did hold off the demon army with the second line of defense, protecting this city. You're a hero! You're a hero of this city… but not mine."
With those words, Yuna turned and left, leaving Raymond standing alone.
His vision blurred, and the figure before him seemed to transform into a child. Everything seemed to return to the past. The woman before him, unwilling to say another word, seemed to have reverted to his childhood sweetheart.
The three of them grew up together, joined the army together, joined the Wild Horse Knights together, and climbed the mountains together.
The renowned Three Knights of the Wild Horse Knights were a force to be reckoned with over a decade ago.
Until the moment Yuna made her choice.
Raymond lost. He was, after all, just a childhood friend, unable to deepen their relationship.
The reason he's now doing the right thing, protecting the city, yet afraid to face Yuna's questions, is because he was driven by selfish motives back then.
He had the opportunity to save the Wild Horse Knights. While it would have been risky, the benefits of saving them outweighed the risks, especially since he was originally a member of the Wild Horse Knights.
But he chose to remain a bystander, watching helplessly as the Wild Horse Knights' banner fell.
He thought this would give him a chance to win Yuna's heart, but he was wrong. Yuna wasn't a fool.
His hand fell, and Raymond leaned against the wall, letting out a low sigh.
Yuna, walking out of the school, quickly spotted Yuri standing by the door, her brow furrowing slightly.
"Why aren't you home recovering? What are you doing waiting for me here?"
Yuri hesitated, lowering her head.
"Mother…I want to go watch the match."
"…To watch Qin Yu's match?"
"Yes."
"Yuri, he's not one of us. Don't forget, he's a demon."
"But he grew up with me. I witnessed his growth. He used to be very honest. Lately, although he's become a bit annoying, he hasn't become a villain. And this time, he even stood up for me! Mother! Are demons really as you say? Are they all beyond redemption? Is it possible for demons to have a conscience?"
Hearing her daughter's question, Yuna gave her a deep look.
"You shouldn't ask me that. You should ask your deceased father, ask the more than 2,000 Wild Horse Knights who died at the hands of demons, ask the hundreds of thousands of your people who died tragically more than a decade ago. You should ask them if there are any good demons."
Yuna's words left Yuri speechless, unsure how to answer.
Yuna was always like that; she never scolded her children harshly, always speaking slowly and deliberately.
But her words were sharp, so sharp they were hard to defend against, leaving no room for rebuttal.
Seeing her daughter, lame in one leg, stubbornly refusing to move,
Yuna remained silent for a long time before shaking her head and sighing.
"What a stubborn mule."
"I'm a horse, not a donkey."
"Then you're a stubborn horse. There's no way to deal with you. Since you want to go watch the fight, then go ahead. I also want to see just how much skill that kid is hiding."
Stroking the broken sword at her waist, Yuna took her daughter's hand and turned to walk towards the street.
Yuri was overjoyed at this, limping along behind Yuna with her crutch.
"Mother! Do you think that idiot Qin Yu can get a good ranking?"
"No."
"Why? His strength in the video wasn't bad at all. Even I might not be his match."
"Even if he's strong, it's useless. Don't forget where we are. This is the Northern District, the territory connected to the Demon Gate, a place that has been fighting demons for thousands of years. Do you think the other contestants will allow him to get a good ranking in such a place that so vehemently hates demons?"
"This..."
"Not to mention the contestants, even the higher-ups from other schools would probably try their best to eliminate him. If he were defeated by a demon, they would lose all face."